Device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding-machines.



G. A. HIRTH. DEVICE FOR AGGELERATING THE FEED 0F BALL BEARING BALLS T0 GRINDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 19, 1911.

Patented May 6, 1913.

1 Mam 2w.

" :DEVIGE ron AQCELERATING THE Empire of Germany, have invented certain 7 new and useful Improvements 1n Dev ces for Accelerating the Feed of Ball-Bearing I Balls to Grinding-Machines, of which the following'is a specification.

- This invention relates to a device for accelerating the velocity of ball-bearing balls during their feed to the grinding machines, and has for its object to provide means whereby the balls are given a certain velocity "substantially the same as that of the grinding surfaces or grinding disks. Thereby the balls are carried along by the grinding disks without being stopped, and on the other'hand, the velocity of the grinding surfaces is'not impaired by the feed of the balls, which is desirable to be kept at a certain high speed, a

For this purpose my invention consists in the arrangement for conducting-the balls to be fed between two surfaces sufiiciently loose so that the balls receive by the relative movement of one surface to the other the desired feed velocity.

of a ball-feeding hopper, a rotary member, a stationary member, and means between thestationaryand rotary niemberfor conducting the balls, said means being arranged in screw-line fashion and increasing in pitch from the feed hopper, and a guide-channel for the balls adapted to receive the balls from the'said conducting means and guide the balls received from the conducting means to the axis of the rotary member, whereby the balls are greatly accelerated in their movement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical axial section, Fig. 2 is a horizoning the several feed tubes, and Fig. 3 shows a modified form of feed hopper in which the balls are conducted in one single cylindrical feed instead of a plurality of individual feed tubes.

- Similar-letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. Referring to the drawings, the feed-hopper 0 is provided with a number of balls for 5Q ball-bearings intended to be fed to the grind- Specification of Letters Patent.

I To all whom it may concern i i resident of the city of Cannstatt, near Stutt- 5 gart, in the Kingdom of l/Vurttemberg and- The invention consists'more particularly tal section taken-on line a-b of Fig. 1, show-' UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIo rnnn or BALL-BEARING BALLS 'IO GRINDING- -MACHINES.

- Patented my 6,1913.

Application filed October 19,1911. Serial No. 55,62 5.

ing machine which pass'by gravityfrom the I hopper c to the plurality of tubes d. In the form shown in Fig. 3 the plurality. of tubes cl is replaced by a single cylindrical feed. At the lower end of the feed tubes d or feedcylinder. m, a rotary member 0 is arranged that hasits shaft (2 movable in bearings e and its shaft e movable in bearings 6 ballbearings (1 being provided, as is well known, for causing the least possible loss of energy by friction. The rotary member 0 is further provided at its lower end with a cut-out portion for the guiding of a belt which belt serves to rotate the member e. The member e is surrounded by a stationary sleeve n which is spaced from the outer surface of the member e about the distance of the radius of the balls to be handled bythe device. The member n is supported by the standard a which also supports the bearings e before referred to. The rotary member c in the embodimentshown in Fig. 1 is provided with a groove in width substantially equal to the diameter of the balls to be handled by the device Whichgroove terminates at the upper surface of the rotary member. e and is capable of being brought in rdgistration with the lower ends of the tubes (l or the cylinder m, andterminates at its lower end in the guide-channel h which passes from the circumference of the rotary member e toward the axis of the same at the lowermost art of I the rotary member c. The gui e-channel h communicates with a guide-channel k of a member 7a. This serves to feed the balls to a guide-tube Z of an injector Z, which injector is set in operation by 'a compressed fluid passing through the tube 0 and into the feed-pipe 10, carrying with it by means of the injector action the balls in the guide-tube Z and forcing the same at a high velocity through the feed-tube 'w.

The rotary member 0 is provided with a groove at its outer surface which is arranged screw-line fashion and which has'its smallest pitch uppermost of the rotary member c, with its pitch increasing in axial direction away from the upper end of the rotary member 0. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the stationary sleeve n is provided -w ith grooves g in alinement with the feed tubes cl or parallel with the feed cylinder axis. The depth of the grooves f and 9 1s about equal to the diameter of the balls, and

when t he ufper end of the groove f is in registration with theupper end of a groove g, a '-ball' in the feed tube (Z or feed cylinder m, held immediately above it, will drop into the upper ends of the grooves f and g. I By' the rotation of the rotary member e ',the mouth of, the groove is brought oppo- ,site the groove g, and theball immediately above the two registering grooves, which heretofore ..was seated on the edge of the member .6, may drop into the groove 9 and the groove f. By the-rotation of the rotary me'mber or'cylinder .e the ball is conducted from the-upper end of the groove 9 of.the

sleeve n to the lowermost end of the same,

and is prevented by the walls of the tube 9 from rotating with the rotary member 0. As

the pitch of the screw increases, the velocity of the ball in the groove 9 increases and thereby the balls are given a certain accelerated velocity. The balls thus guided by the cooperating grooves g and f are finally broughtin-registration with the guide channel 12., which is. inclined in position relatively to the axis.

which were moved heretofore in a straight line in'the groove 9 receive a circular movement with an additional, acceleration. In

order toprevent shocks, the channel h at its beginning must be provided with abackwardly directed chute or inclination. 4 From th'e channel h the'balls pass through the sta tionary "channel k. The action ofihe de= scribed device,- with the exception o'f that heretofore described for the injector, is such that the balls are guided by means of the channel k without further mechanismto the .4

In the event, however,

grinding machine, -that'the velocity pf the balls should be an especially large one, 'theinjector device is ap lied to the channel 70 and thereby the bail s are given an additional velocity. The fluid which is usedqay be either gas, air, oil, etc. This fluid then forms-a cushion between the several ballsRvhich acts to prevent impact of the. balls with each other and 'pre vents sun-impairment of their trueness.

For using the invention it is not absolutely necessary that both of the surfaces e and n which are relatively movable toward each other, should be provided with grooves sinceunder certain circumstances it is suificient that one or the other may have a smooth surface without gro'oves, acting how-- ever, in such aananner-as to prevent the balls movement andthen 'a circular movem 't, and n the means for b ringing about the desired cooperation.

By the transfer of the balls "from the groove 9 to the channel It, the balls I have described anl-embodiment of my invention, but changes-may be. made therein without departing from the spirit and scope cf the invention.

- Having thus vdescribed my invention, I

,claim as new and desire to secure by Letters; Patent: 1

1. A device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, comprising memb'ers-relatively movable to each other and spaced ball-guiding distance apart, one of said members having a ball-guiding groove -of increasing'inclination toward its outlet.

2.- A device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding-machines, comprising members relatively movable to each other and spaced ball-guiding distance apart, ball-guiding grooves in said members arranged a-ngularly to each other, and a com- 5 municating ball-guiding groovein one of said members, inclined to the axis thereof.

3. A" device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, comprising a stationary member provided with 9d -g'rooves in the direction of movement of the balls, and a 'rotary member spaced ballguiding distance from said stationary memher-and provided with a screw-line groove transverse to the first-named grooves and increasing in pitch from one end of the rotary member to the other;

4.- A device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, comprising a hollow cylindrical member having interior grooves parallel with the axis ofthe member, and a cylindrical rotary member within the hollow cylindrical member having grooves arranged screw-line fashion on the exterior surface thereof and increasing in pitch from one end of the rotary member to the other, the said groove being adapted to be brought in registration with the grooves of the-stationary member. and conduct the balls held between the grooves with a com stantly increasing spec ,5. A device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grindinglmachines, comprising a movable member aving aninlet for -the balls, and a'ball-guide having an outlet for the balls said movable member and ball-guide coiipefatingjo increase the speed of the balls from said inlet to said outlet.

6. A device for accelerating the feed of 12 0 ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, coini prising astationary'member, a rotary member,.means for guiding a ball therebetween, said means being arranged to give the ball a constantly increasing velocity, and 'a guide- 12 channel In said rotary member adapted to receive the ball from said means, said chan; nel being inclined to the axis of rotation-of said member. 4

7. A device-for accelerating the feed 'of 1 i 'ball-bearinfg balls to grinding machines, comprising a eed chute adapted to hold a plurality of balls, means for receiving the balls from the chute and giving them a constantly increasing velocity under linear movement, means for receiving the balls from said means and imparting to the ball a rotary movement, and means for receiving the ball from said last-named means for iding the ball inlinear movement at its en velocity. 8.-A device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, comprising a feed chute adapted to hold a plurality of-balls, means for receiving the balls from the chute and giving themaconstantly. increasing velocity under linear movement, means for receiving the balls from. said means and imdparting to the ball. a rotary movement, an means for receiving the ball 'and additionally accelerating the same' or imparting to it the end velocity.

- 9. A device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, comprising members relatively movable to each other and s aced balluiding distance apart, one of sai members aving avball-guiding groove of increasing rate of rogression toward its outlet, and means or feeding balls equidistantly to said ball-guiding groove.

. 10. In a device for accelerating the feed of ball-bearing balls to grinding machines, members movable relatively to each other, adapted to receive a-ball, and a member having a channel adapted to 1 receive the ball from said members and having an inclined portion to avoid any impact of the ball whi'le it enters the channel.

In testimony, that I claim theforegoing presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLLRL ALBERT HIRTH.

Witnesses PAULINE KLAIBER, .PAULITQE MfiLLER. 

